“Lest we forget” by ‘Opting Out’

Rob Bernshaw

Rob Bernshaw, Columnist

Across this great nation of Canada as our society made up of all stripes, creeds, nationalities and belief systems face Remembrance Day Sunday November 11, 2012 how are we going to commemorate our heroes? Will we pay the honor and respect due these fallen heroes by participating in commemoration ceremonies all across this great land, or will we choose to ‘Opt Out’ of paying homage, honor and respect to the people of all stripes, creeds, nationalities and belief systems that gave the ultimate sacrifice of their lives in protecting the freedoms we so dearly cherish today?

With the freedoms we cherish dearly are we willing to pay the ultimate sacrifice in order to maintain those freedoms so dearly fought for by soldiers on the Freedom Team. These freedom soldiers stood with sharpened bayonets affixed to rifles standing at the ready arm in arm with fellow heroes of the day to protect the freedoms we seemingly are taking for granted.

They fought with blood sweat, tears and some gave their lives, the ultimate sacrifice in order for us to enjoy the freedoms we have today?

With those sacrifices they honored us future generations with the freedoms dearly fought for and won some losing their lives in the process. We need to honor their heroic efforts in protecting the cherished freedoms for themselves as well as for all future generations. These heroic soldiers on the Freedom Team were fighting a physical battle with physical equipment and freedoms were being assailed openly in a palatable manner that made people physically aware that their freedoms were literally being taken away.

In modern day society are well intentioned people in boardrooms across this great nation sharpening their pencils standing with pens at the ready to create well intentioned policies and possibly killing those hard fought freedoms silently one policy at a time.?

What are we choosing to ‘Opt Out’ of?

First there is the ‘No Zero Policy” and now the ‘Opting out Policy’ comes to light in the school system of the day. Does the ‘No Zero Policy’ compliment the “Opting Out Policy” or vice versa by allowing students to ‘Opt Out’ of getting marks by not handing in assignments or completing assigned tasks?

Going to school at one time was a joy and a privilege to participate in. We were thankful for the opportunity to be able to get up and participate in Remembrance day activities not because we got time away from the books but because we had civic duty instilled into us from an early age by parents, grandparents and relatives that had experienced the horrors of war and the decimation that follows war of any kind.

We were not allowed to ‘OPT OUT’ of remembering and neither did any of us want or desire to. We gladly participated in Remembrance day services to honor and respect those that went before us providing the ultimate sacrifice so that we may all no matter what the stripe can enjoy the freedoms and Peace of the present day.

Lieutenant Colonel John Alexander McCrae MD (honorably spent his Dash from November 30, 1872 - January 28, 1918) a Canadian physician, artist, author, poet  and soldier serving during World War I. He penned the famous war memorial poem "In Flanders Fields"  which was written on May 3, 1915 and first published in the magazine Punch:

“In Flanders Fields”
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
           - John McCrae

This famous war memorial poem was recited by heart in many commemoration services that this writer gladly and proudly took part in throughout the school years and honoring those that have gone before.

This ultimate sacrifice for our well being needs to be honored and remembered in order to be kept alive in our individual and collective memories. We still have people in our so called modern society that give of their time, blood, sweat and tears in order to protect those freedoms and privileges that many in the two world wars and numerous wars since that time have given up to protect by giving their lives to make sure that those freedoms were maintained.

What are we doing to honor those ultimate sacrifices?

This writer is all for freedom of religion, freedom of expression, freedom of choice, but when those freedoms cross the boundaries of common sense and decency than we all need to stand up and be counted along with the fallen heroes of the day as well as stand up with the heroes that are still alive today . We need to stand loud and proud with the soldiers, police, medical personal and all first responders that have the courage to put their lives on the line in order to protect and keep alive what we dearly value. That is the freedom to walk this earth knowing and remembering those that went before fighting the wars and providing the ultimate sacrifices for us, a society that is slowly heading for ‘Opting Out’ of participating in life along a road leading to forgetting what got us to where we are today.

That is a sad commentary to those of us that gladly participate no matter the stripe or belief because we realize that without the ultimate sacrifices by people that have our best interests at heart and their desire to protect those freedoms and rights we all enjoy then one day we will all lose them if it is not happening at this very moment with one ‘Opt Out’ policy at a time?

Instead of honoring and respecting our heroes whether fallen or still alive is ‘Opting Out’ showing the ultimate disrespect and a great dishonor to those defending our freedoms of yesterday and today?

By ‘Opting Out’ rather than honoring the heroes that sacrificed so much to give us so much are we showing the ultimate dishonor to those fallen and their survivors?

Does this dishonoring apply to the immediate survivors such as family and loved ones of anyone’s fallen sons and daughters across Canada or does it apply to all cherished freedom recipients of these honorable sacrifices, such as all of us?

The commemoration services are about honoring and respecting the survivors of freedoms fight as much as it is in honoring and respecting the fallen heroes that sacrificed much for us today.

We all need to take a pittance of time and celebrate the great honor and privilege it is to be alive in a free and peaceful society because of the sacrifices of the heroes of today and yesterday “lest we forget”.

Remembrance a term to recall, reflect and bring to the forefront of our individual and collective memories experiences and deeds from moments past. Remembrance is important as it brings a realization to how frail our human existence is during this journey called life. People alive today have the blessing and opportunity to live a rich fulfilling life on this wonderful planet we call Earth.

There are many that have had their lives cut short and are no longer with us due to one conflict or another throughout the history of our frail existence. Participating in Commemorative events is a way of showing by our action that we are truly appreciative and grateful for the gift of heroic sacrifices given to us by first responders of every type over the years in their selfless service for us.

War is a prime example of major loss of life cut short at an early stage in one’s progression.

There are numerous ways that we can remember but one of them is not ‘Opting Out’ of our civic duties and responsibilities to those that have gone before us and have sacrificed their lives in order for us to enjoy the Peace, and Freedoms we enjoy today.

Is allowing 'Opting Out' to children of the day setting an example and precedent for the future of our society that may become a norm towards forgetting how we got here in the first place? Without the many brave people over the years providing the ultimate heroic sacrifice in order to protect the freedoms of the people living today there would not be Remembrance Day Services commemorating the ultimate sacrifice and gift to all of us ‘the gift of freedom’.

Where will these ‘Opting Out’ policies end? Will it be at the end of the day when we ‘Opt Out’ of a full life led as we are laid to rest and leave this earthly realm behind? Is that the ultimate ‘Opting Out’ policy?

Let us always be thankful for the brave men and women of the military and first responders that have not ‘Opted Out’ and have stood arm in arm with their comrades to provide the freedom necessary for a safe and productive life for all of us alive to day that are grateful for the great opportunity to take a small moment of our time and participate in Commemoration Services and stand tall in whatever place they may be at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month as a mere pittance of time passes into history. A mere 2 minutes of silence to reflect on the thousands of lives given for a better future for us. ‘Opting Out’ was not an option for these brave men and women as their lives were snuffed out in a heartbeat protecting what we value so near and dear in our own hearts and lives today.

For the heroes of yesterday and today since ‘Opting Out’ is not an option why should it be for the rest of us?

Here is a great memorial video by an artist by the name of Terry Kelly that sees much more than we with so called clear sight are able to.

This song gives a hint of how our society is in such a rush towards what?

Are we in such a rush that we are not even able to take a short time out of our lives(a mere pittance)to honor our heroes that have given countless hours of their lives in order for us to live freely every day? A mere pittance is a drop of water in the bucket of life that others have honorably sacrificed for us over the years.

A Pittance of Time by Terry Kelly:

Last but not least is a Canadian hero that fought for our freedoms with passion and a love for the freedoms of this great country Canada. He dedicated his time in service to gaining a victory over the Axis forces in the Second World War by fighting with the Allied troops as a proud Canadian Soldier upholding the cause of freedom for all Canadians no matter the color or stripe.

This proud and almost forgotten Canadian, Thomas George”Tommy” Prince *MM(October 25, 1915- November 25, 1977) is one of Canada’s most decorated First Nations soldier and hero that served in World War II and the Korean War fighting for the freedoms we all enjoy today.

*MM stands for Military Medal a distinction that Sergeant Tommy Prince Canada’s most decorated First Nations soldier and one of the more notable recipients of this distinctive medal also received the **U.S. Silver Star

**U.S. Silver Star:
The Silver Star, referred to as the Silver Star Medal by the Navy and Marine Corps, is the third highest military decoration for valor that can be awarded to any person serving in any capacity with the United States Armed Forces. The medal is awarded for gallantry in action against an enemy of the United States.~source
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silver_Star

It is almost forgotten heroes like Sergeant Tommy Prince of the Devils Brigade and others like him that we need to honor and commemorate in order to be truly grateful for the freedoms that heroes like Sergeant Tommy Prince and others alongside him sacrificed for all of us Canadians today.

We need to honor our forgotten heroes and help them live their lives out in respect and honor not with with disrespect and dishonor.

In June 1955, Tommy Prince made the news for his heroism in saving a man from drowning at the Alexander Docks in Winnipeg. But his personal life kept deteriorating and alcoholism overtook him resulting in his final years being spent virtually alone, living in a Salvation Army hostel. In order to support himself, he sold off his medals.Prince died at the Deer Lodge Hospital in Winnipeg in 1977 and was interred in the Brookside Cemetery.~source
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommy_Prince

In closing let us remember these forgotten heroes by participating in commemoration services and searching out these forgotten Canadian heroes that sacrificed so much for us only to die alone and forgotten with nothing to show but shadows of their former selves.

In the spirit of remembering Sergeant Tommy Prince a Canadian hero of Canada's First Nations and other forgotten Canadian heroes alive or dead, let us all stand up with hats off and heads bowed in remembrance and thankfulness of what was sacrificed for us. We need to ‘Opt In’ to life and the fact that we are all enjoying our freedoms and the ability to walk the streets in a peaceful and respectful society. It is beyond reprehensible for one to comprehend even a thought of ‘Opting Out’ with Canadian heroes like Sergeant Tommy Prince being there for us in our time of freedoms need.

Also 2012 is the eleventh year since the 9-11 tragedy when planes were used as weapons of mass destruction against a freedom loving society. As we have our heads bowed let us also remember the first responder heroes of the day and the many lives lost in a single instant of time that deserves our respect and honor today.

Here is another reason that we need to ‘Opt In’ and participate in commemoration services and that is the countless Silver Cross Mothers that have lost children in service to their country in keeping our freedoms alive. Do we want to ‘Opt Out’ of honoring these courageous survivors as well? What kind of society are we becoming if we continue to let ‘Opting Out’ prevail?

A Silver Cross Mother is chosen each year by the Royal Canadian Legion to lay a wreath during the Remembrance Day ceremony at the National War Memorial in Ottawa on behalf of all mothers who have lost children in the service of their country. The title is named for the Silver Cross, a medal awarded to such mothers by the Canadian Forces.~source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silver_Cross_Mother

As we honor our heroes past or present then ultimately we honor ourselves in the process.

Not only today do we need to commemorate and honor our many heroes we need to become more active in searching out and honoring our forgotten heroes as well.

“Lest we forget"

Related links:

www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/history/other/native/prince

www.historica-dominion.ca/content/heritage-minutes/tommy-prince

www.normsmedalmounting.com/prince.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_Medal